Splintered Names
by She'sADreamer95
Summary: She knew the truth now: she was missing minor, Elena Grace Reynolds, but what did the future hold for the girl once known as Brooke Penelope Davis? Will she stay in Tree Hill? Or will the past come back to haunt her? Sequel to 'The Girl In The Mirror'
1. Chapter 1

"Hey."

She glanced over at her best friend, managing a small smile. After a long day, and an even longer night, neither one of them had gotten much sleep. Lucas was downstairs, trying to decide if he had enough of an apatite for breakfast.

"You know." Peyton muttered, dropping down onto the bed beside her. "I wouldn't blame you if you hated me..."

"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer." Brooke drew out, rolling her eyes. "You are my best friend, I could never hate you."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No."

"Irritated?"

"No."

"Angry?"

"That's the same thing as being mad, P. Sawyer."

"There's a difference!"

Her last statement earned the blonde another eye roll. Brooke sat up, pulling on her hand until she was sitting right beside her. She threw her arms around her blonde best friend, and for a moment, they just sat together, grateful for the company of their best friend.

"You're not even a little disappointed in me?" Peyton asked, glancing up at her. "C'mon! You gotta give me something! I can't accept that you've just decided to forgive me, Brooke!"

She snorted. With everything that had just happened, leave it to Peyton to still have a sense of humor.

She suddenly realized something.

"You called me Brooke." She muttered, raising an eye brow.

Peyton blushed. "Well, I've been calling you that since we were kids... Unless you want me to stop."

"No." Brooke laughed. "It's actually a huge relief not to have all of my friends going around, calling me _Elena_. I'm not that girl anymore... If I ever was before."

The blonde sighed, drawing her best friend even closer. "We're gonna figure everything out, I promise. But for the record? You'll always be Brooke to me."

* * *

"Hey, man."

Lucas reached out to squeeze his younger brother's shoulder before moving away from the door so he could slip inside.

"Hey, Luke." Nathan replied. "Where's the girls?"

"Upstairs."

He nodded, letting the door fall shut behind him. None of them had slept. Karen had come to retrieve all four of them from the police station around one, Lucas had snuck out at three in the morning to go to Peyton's house, and Haley had yet to come home.

Nathan would have been lying if he said he wasn't worried. She'd sent him one text, only an hour after running away from the scene.

I'm okay, I'm staying the night at Mouth's... I'm sorry, Nathan.

"What are we gonna do, Nate?"

"I don't know, Luke..." He admitted, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I really don't know."

He should have told his brother the truth, he realized that now. Maybe if they had all known, they could have protected Brooke from the fall out together.

"Lucas?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry, man." Nathan muttered. "I never should have lied to you... I just didn't know what else to do."

Lucas let out a long sigh. He wasn't angry at his brother, or Peyton, or even Haley, he was just angry at the situation.

He was terrified of losing Brooke.

She had been the one to bring them all together in the first place. Brooke had met Peyton in kindergarten, Nathan, Lucas, and Skills in first grade, Bevin in second, and Mouth in fourth grade. While it had been Peyton to bring Haley into the group, Brooke was one of the first people to make her feel welcome.

The cops were still questioning Ted and Victoria Davis, though one thing seemed to be very clear.

Anne-Marie Davis had been the one to snatch Elena Reynolds from her front yard that fateful September night. Anne-Marie Davis turned Elena Reynolds into Brooke Davis.


	2. Chapter 2

"Haley?"

He jumped up from the kitchen table, throwing the door open. He grabbed her, her feet leaving the ground as he spun her in a great circle.

"Nathan!" She laughed, despite the situation. "Stop! You're going to make me-"

Nathan cut her off, pressing his lips to hers. His arms locked around her waist while she wound his arms around his torso. He wished they could have stayed like that forever.

"Hales James-Scott."

Haley froze. She knew that voice, she knew when he was concerned, or annoyed, or both. She was his best friend.

He had every right to be angry with her.

"Luke-"

Lucas pulled her into a too-tight hug, but she was hesitant to wrap her arms around him in return. She had called the police, she was the reason the world was learning that Elena Reynolds was very much alive. She was the reason they could very well lose Brooke.

She didn't deserve to be forgiven.

"Damn it, Hales." Lucas muttered, pulling back to look her in the eyes. "Don't you ever scare me like that again."

Haley blinked. "I'm sorry, Lucas... I just... I didn't know what else to do..."

"You did the right thing, Hales." Nathan told her, crossing his arms. "You did what I wasn't brave enough to do... I'm proud of you."

He nodded in agreement. "So am I."

Haley glanced around the room, suddenly noticing that there were two people noticing.

"They're upstairs." Lucas said, guessing her thoughts. "Why don't you head on up? I think you three have a lot to talk about."

She took the steps two at a time.

The door to Peyton's bedroom was open, the two girls were lying side by side, not speaking.

Hesitantly, she rapped her knuckles against the wood of the door. Brooke glanced over at her.

"Hi." Haley muttered. "I... I understand if you don't want me here. You have every right-"

The brunet rolled her eyes, holding her arms out. "Get over here, H. James-Scott."

The three girls could never stay angry at each other for long. Brooke threw her arms around the two girls, holding onto them for dear life.

"I'm really sorry." She muttered. "I'm sorry I just blurted that out. I... I should have talked to you about calling the police first, but I just... I just didn't know how to handle it."

"No." Peyton shook her head. "It's um, it was my fault, I had a million chances to tell Brooke, I just never took any of them. But I just... I really want us all to be good enough friends that we can talk about stuff, you know? Even when it's ugly... _Especially_ then."

Brooke wasn't physic, she couldn't predict the future, she had no idea what life had in store for her now, but she did know one thing.

They were going to okay, they were all going to be okay.

"Brooke." Haley said, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "You got back together with Felix? Why?"

She had just found out that she was a missing child. Was now really the time for a girl talk about her relationship?

"Yeah..." The blonde drew out. "I was wondering the same thing. I know you're gonna give me your whole: _'I can have sex like a guy'_ speech but, it's crap."

Brooke looked defensive. "Why? You think I'm gonna let myself get hurt again?"

"I dunno." Peyton replied, shrugging innocently. "Maybe."

Haley knew her blonde friend well enough to know that she had yet to tell Brooke the truth about Felix, but with everything else that was going on, maybe that was a good thing.

"At least I'm having sex!"

"Yeah." She cut in, rolling her eyes. "With a guy that doesn't even respect you enough to have a real relationship with you."

"Brooke?" Haley sighed. "Don't you wanna fall in love?"

Were all of her friends just realizing now that she wasn't in love with Felix? Why had Julian been the first one to point it out?

Complicated was one of the many words that described her relationship with Felix. She had had plenty of boyfriends in her seventeen years, but she always seemed to end up getting her heart broken. After many heated arguments, and a lot of flirting, she'd started a friends-with-benefits arrangement, not wanting to have a serious relationship where she could get hurt again. Somewhere during that bumpy ride, she had fallen for him.

But was she in love with him? No! And that really bugged her.

"Yeah." She admitted, letting out a defeated sigh. "I do. Some day, okay?"

"Why not now?"

Her relationship with Felix had been based on sex, and the passion in their relationship was amazing, but there had to be more to it than that.

Brooke squeezed Haley's hand. "Look, Tutor Wife, I love you, but if it was up to you, we'd all be getting our marriage license with our drivers license."

She admired Nathan and Haley so much. What they had was rare, but they weren't afraid of losing each other. If anything, they became stronger together each and every day. She wanted what they had.

 _I'm not the most eloquent speaker, so I thought I would borrow a few words from Shakespeare. "Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds." When life gets hard, when things change, true love remains the same. I look at Nathan and Haley, and somehow I feel safer. I don't know if I can explain that, but they give me hope. I'm afraid to say it out loud, because maybe if life finds out, it'll try to beat it out of them, and that would be a shame, because we all can use a little hope sometimes, you know? That feeling that everything is gonna be okay, and that there's gonna be someone there to help make sure of that. So here's to Nathan and Haley. Here's to hope. And here's to a love that will not alter._

Haley laughed lightly. "I'm not talking about marriage, I'm just talking about... Falling in love."

And I'm tired of feeling bad, okay?" The brunet shook her head. "I'd rather feel nothing. It's better, it's _easier_."

Peyton sighed. She wanted so badly to tell Brooke the truth, she knew that it would help her end her train wreck of a relationship with Felix, but there never seemed to be a right time to do it.

"No." Peyton muttered, meeting her best friend's gaze. "It's not better Brooke! Like... It's not you, okay? I admire you so much for the chances you take but, this just doesn't seem like you... It's less than you."


	3. Chapter 3

"Mom?" She called out, using the word hesitantly. She let the door fall shut behind her. "I got a call from your lawyer... He said you wanted me to come home..."

Ted and Victoria sat side by side in the living room, their expressions unreadable. Three suitcases sat by the front door.

She already knew what was happening.

"Hello, Brooke." Victoria greeted, her tone cold. "Please. Come. Sit."

Brooke shook her head, warily glancing around the room. "No... Let's just get this over with... Please."

"Very well." Ted coughed awkwardly. "Well... _Brooke_ , as you know, you are not really our daughter, or our niece for that matter... We don't really have any legal responsibilities to you."

His wife nodded. "The housekeeper took the liberty of packing your clothes, but if there's anything else up in your... In the spare bedroom, then please, feel free to run upstairs and grab it."

She took the steps two at a time, trying to hold back her tears. How could she have expected anything else from them?

It wasn't her bedroom anymore.

Her silk sheets, and her hand-sewn comforter were folded up at the end of the bed. She grabbed a spare laundry basket from the hall closet and tossed them inside. Her purple monkey, the one treasured item from her childhood was sitting on the dresser, she took that too.

The only other things she wanted from that room was her jewelry, her nail polish, her perfume, and her doll house. It didn't right to leave it behind.

Carefully, she made her way back downstairs. She couldn't miss Victoria's eye roll as she watched the teenager bring such 'childish' things along with her.

"Brooke."

Slowly, Brooke turned to face the man she had once considered to be her father. He pressed a set of keys into her hand.

"We bought that car for you." Ted Davis mumbled, looking away. "We could sell it, but we would never even get half of what we spent on it back... Think of it as a going away present."

What the hell was she supposed to do now?

* * *

After throwing everything into the trunk of the car, she'd broken down. Ted and Victoria wouldn't have ever won 'Parent of the Year' award, but never in a million years did she think that they would have abandoned her.

Her phone buzzed.

 **You okay?**

Julian. She could have smiled. He had made it very clear that he was there for her, 24/7.

It was almost like having a reliable boyfriend.

Not really...

She had no where to go. She could try to stay with Peyton, but it was hard enough for her blonde best friend to live in that house, while her father was constantly away, working to provide for her. She didn't have the money for an apartment.

Would she have to go to Charlotte?

 **Wanna meet somewhere?**

Brooke couldn't even think about going back home, and she was very hesitant to use that term. Elena Reynolds knew that home, Elena Reynolds knew that family. But there was only one problem.

Elena Reynolds no longer existed.

If you don't mind holding me while I cry, then yeah, sure. I'd love to.

 **I'm here for you, Brooke. Never forget that.**

While her friends had been there for her, 100%, Julian seemed to want to be there for her 110%. Why did he care so much?

 _You like him. Brooke Davis likes the new boy._

 _As if! There's this guy, Felix? Also known as my boyfriend?_

 _Sure. You just keep telling yourself that, Davis._

It seemed like another lifetime ago that Nathan had found the two of them together in the hallway. He'd teased her about the way she looked at Julian.

Brooke had no idea how he felt about her, but if she knew one thing, it was that she was crazy about him.

Meet me at the beach? Fifteen minutes? XX.

She was in trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

"Did you get any sleep?"

She shook her head, turning to throw him a lazy smile. Brooke had left after receiving a call from Davis's lawyer, Nathan had taken Haley home not too long after that. Lucas was the only one who'd stuck around.

"Peyton." Lucas coaxed, slipping an arm around her waist. "C'mon, go upstairs, get some sleep. You look exhausted."

He was worried about her, he couldn't deny that. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she was more pale than usual.

She wouldn't look him in the eye.

"I'm not tired, Lucas."

Peyton's phone buzzed, and she went to answer it. He watched her walk away with a sad smile. She was doing her best not to break down, he wished he could just grab her, and promise her that everything was going to be okay.

The truth was, he didn't know if it would be this time.

Peyton had a saying: _People always leave_ , and that seemed to be the truth for almost her entire life. Her adoptive mother had died in a car crash on her way to pick up the nine year old from school, her birth mother had died of breast cancer the year before, the first boy she ever truly tried to give her heart to had left town to save his daughter, and her father was almost always out of town on a worn assignment. She could very well be losing Brooke any day now, if the Reynolds family decided to try and seek custody of the seventeen year old.

Damn it, she wouldn't lose him, ever. No matter what happened, he was going to be there for her.

"Peyton?"

She wandered back into the room, a far away look in her eyes. He gently took hold of her hands, bringing her to sit on the couch beside him.

Lucas reached up to cup her cheek. "What's wrong? Who just called? Talk to me, Peyton."

Peyton let out a long held in breath, tears brimming her eyes. "Ted and Victoria..."

"What about them?"

"They just kicked Brooke out." She said. Her head fell heavily against his shoulder. "This is all my fault, Luke."

"What?" Alarm swept across his face as he pulled her into a hug. "No, Peyton, this is in no way your fault! Ted and Victoria are two of the most selfish people I have ever met. That has nothing to do with you."

It had _everything_ to do with her! If they had just kept their mouths shut...

"If you and Haley would have kept quiet, then Brooke would still feel disposable." He said, guessing her thoughts.

Peyton wound her arms around his torso, the tears threatening to escape as his grip on her tightened. In a way, he was right, Brooke finally had the chance to know who she really was.

"What are we gonna do, Luke?"

"First." Lucas muttered, lifting her up until she was lying across him. "You're gonna sit here with me, and I'm gonna stay with you until you send me away. And then, I'm gonna call my mom, and we'll figure something out."

She smiled, a real smile, and snuggled deeper into his embrace. He kept a tight hold on her waist, using his free hand to run his fingers through her wild curls. Finally, Peyton drifted off into a deep sleep, her smile still in place.

He chuckled lightly, leaning down to press his lips to her hairline. Peyton Sawyer was truly beautiful, no matter what.

He was too comfortable to move, but he had to adjust her slightly so he could pull his phone out of his pocket. He hit #1 on his speed dial, and waited for her to pick up.

His mom would know what to do.

Although it hadn't been easy, Karen Roe had taken Nathan in when the boys were twelve. Deb, terrified that her only son would end up just like his father, vowed to keep Nathan safe. So, instead of growing up rich and entitled, he'd grown up sleeping on a double bed in a tiny basement, playing basketball on the River Court, with a single mother looking after him. Keith had been like a father figure to the both of them, but his own brother had destroyed that relationship by destroying him. Dan Scott was now serving a life sentence in prison, and Nathan and Lucas had vowed to never become like their father.

"Mom?" He whispered, his phone pressed up against his ear. "No, I'm still at Peyton's... I know, I'm sorry... Listen... I really need your help."


	5. Chapter 5

It was her favorite picture of the five of them.

Freshman year Homecoming Parade. The girls wore their cheer uniforms, the boys their basketball jerseys. Nathan had hoisted her up onto his shoulders, while Lucas carried Peyton bridal style.

It was Brooke who made the picture memorable.

She was on the ground in front of them, doing the splits. One hand held up a pompom, while she flipped the camera man off with her free hand. That was Brooke Davis, though, beautiful, stubborn, quirky, unpredictable Brooke Davis. The Brooke Davis she knew, and loved.

"Hales?"

Nathan took the frame from her hand, studying it intently. He chuckled at the memory before placing the photograph back on the dresser and wrapping his arms around her.

"Hales."

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Haley repeated, raising an eye brow. "Nathan, I'm the one who-"

"Did the right thing." He finished for her, pressing his lips to her forehead. "You were the brave one out of all three of us. I shouldn't have asked you to keep everything a secret from Brooke, baby, and I am so sorry... I don't know if you can ever forgive me-"

Haley threw her arms around his neck, cutting him off with a kiss. She would always forgive him, he was her Nathan, and nothing could ever change that.

"I don't know what's going to happen." Nathan admitted. "I wish I could say that everything is going to go back to the way it was before, but I don't think that's the case."

"I'm trying hard not to be angry." She muttered, shaking her head. "I am trying so hard to be sympathetic to this family, but I think I'm losing that battle... I don't want Brooke to leave Tree Hill."

He let out a long sigh. "I'm way ahead of you... It'll be fine, Hales... Things are going to work out, somehow."

Haley buried her face into his chest. "Good, cause I need you."

"I'm right here." Nathan promised, kissing her forehead again. "I'm right here, baby."

He could only pray that he was right, that everything would be okay eventually.

* * *

"You make sad look beautiful, Brooke Davis. What's going on?"

"It was my fault." She mumbled as he dropped down beside her. "I was so busy trying to save my relationship with my boyfriend, that I made them feel like they couldn't come to me with something like this."

Julian sighed. While he couldn't understand Nathan's reasoning with lying to Brooke about her true identity, he did know that her friends loved her, more than anything.

"But you didn't make them lie, Brooke."

"No." Brooke said, picking up a handful of sand and letting it slip through her fingers. "I forced them to, not directly, but I did with the choices I made."

"Hey." He muttered, wrapping an arm around her. "You're not gonna lose any of us, okay? You're here, _we're_ here, and after a day like today, it all gets pretty simple, doesn't it? A name won't change who you are. You _are_ Brooke Davis, and no one can take those away from you."

She no longer felt like Brooke Davis, that was the problem.

"I can't believe this is happening..." She whispered. "It doesn't even seem real."

Julian nodded, pulling her into a tight hug. "Yeah, I know."

She wasn't sure how long they sat there together like that, she didn't care. It was so nice to be held by someone, who didn't want something in return.

"Can you tell me something about yourself?" She asked suddenly. "Just... Anything, please... Something to distract me."

Julian thought for a moment before pulling out his phone, and handing it to her. The boy whose face filled the screen was completely different from the boy sitting beside her, but it was Julian, with wild hair, and wire-framed glasses.

"Does that look like Mr. Popular to you?" He said, glancing out at the water. "That's who I was before I moved here, Brooke... I'm glad I'm not him anymore, because that kid never would have stood a chance at being friends with you."

Her cheeks were burning. Any thoughts of Felix, or the fact that she eve had a boyfriend now had been thrown out the window.

She was falling for him, like she'd never fell for a guy before.

"Look..." She drew out, avoiding his gaze. "The last thing that I want to do is make things awkward between us, but I need to know something... Is this going anywhere?"

Julian raised an eye brow. "This conversation? I have no idea... I'm completely lost."

"I'm being serious, Julian." Brooke muttered, smacking him. "This... You and me... What are we? What are we doing?"

Julian blinked. Was she really asking him that question? They were friends... Weren't they? So what if he thought that she had pretty eyes, or that he had to suppress the urge to grab her around the waist, press his lips to hers, and never let go?

So what if he was pretty sure that he was falling in love with her?

"I don't know." He admitted, shrugging innocently "We're hanging out... We're having fun."

"Right..." She drew out, sighing. "Pretty much what I expected your answer to be."

"What's wrong with having fun?'

This conversation was confusing him. Greatly. Wasn't she still dating Felix? There was no way that a girl like Brooke Davis could ever fall for a guy like him.

Brooke turned away from him, glancing out at the water. She loved that beach, it was one of her favorite spots in Tree Hill, she had always been able to find peace there.

"Brooke?"

"Huh?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Well... You didn't ask me a question!" She shot back, a blush rising to her cheeks. "Or did you..."

Julian laughed, gently forcing her chin upward so she was looking him in the eye. "I asked you if... Do you have feelings for me?"

He'd done it. He had finally said the words out loud. There was no going back.

"I..." Brooke stuttered. "I... I think I do."

That was all he needed. Julian's arms locked around her waist, pulling her close to him. Their lips were only inches apart.

"Brooke?"

Her eyes widened as Lucas neared them. She jumped to her feet, sending sand flying everywhere. "Lucas?"

"Umm..." Lucas coughed, awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other. "Can you come with me? I think we need to talk..."


	6. Chapter 6

"Do I even wanna know what I just interrupted? Or..."

Brooke shot him a wary look, a blush rising to her cheeks. She had agreed to leave the beach with Lucas after he'd told her that it was important, but she couldn't shake any thoughts of Julian from her mind.

He had almost kissed her.

"Brooke?" He waved a hand in front of her face. "I'm just asking, because I'm your friend, and I love you... But what about Felix?"

 _Felix_. The name sounded foreign to her now.

"Felix..." Brooke scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I think we're going to kind of... Stop benefiting."

"I'm glad!" Lucas blurted out, earning a confused look from her. "I mean, not about the fact that you have to break up with someone thing but... About the rest of it."

She looked amused. Her friends hatred of her boyfriend was no secret. "Why? Because you don't like him?"

"No." He muttered. "Because you're better than that."

At some point, they had stopped having heart to heart conversations. Minus Peyton, Lucas had always been the one person she could go to for anything without judgment.

"I miss this, you know." Brooke admitted, looping her arm through his. "Talking to you."

He grinned back at her. He'd missed it too.

"Sorry about you and Felix..."

"Yeah..."

He let out a long sigh. It was already getting dark. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Brooke said again. "It's just,... Every time I see something in Tree Hill, it's probably the last time, so I feel like I have to take mental pictures of everything, you know?"

They took the steps up to the front porch of his home. He leaned against the railing, shooting her a grin.

"Well... Make sure you make me look good when you take my picture."

His last comment earned him a snort, an eye roll, and a nudge with her elbow. They stood in silence for a few moments, unsure of what to say.

"So." She muttered. What are you gonna miss most about me?"

Lucas raised an eye brow. There was so much about her to love. "I can only choose one thing?"

"Yes." She replied, a sad smile appeared on her face. "And it has to be something good, not how much you'll miss hanging out with me, or how hot I am."

She was teasing him. No matter how hard he tried to deny it, he would only ever have eyes for Miss. Peyton Sawyer.

"Hmm... Neither one of those, huh?"

"No."

"Damn." He chuckled. "I'll miss the girl behind the red door."

He was met with a confused look, it only made him grin again.

"Come on."

He threw open his bedroom door.

Her dollhouse was the first thing she saw. Her lamp, mirror, and everything else from her old room that she'd stuffed in her car earlier that morning was now in Lucas's bedroom.

He let the door fall shut behind him.

"This is all my stuff..." Brooke muttered, shaking her head. "I don't understand..."

Lucas grinned at her again. "I had my mom talk to your parents... Your _real_ parents, and they said that you could stay here till the summer. They didn't want to, Brooke, but my mom can be really convincing."

Her eyes widened. She was staying in Tree Hill, for now, at least. She was actually staying?

"You did this for me?"

"I wasn't ready to lose you yet." He admitted, chuckling softly. "So... You gonna stay, or what?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

So many people thought that they had the best group of friends, but none could ever even begin to compare to her own. She would have been lost without them.

"Yeah, of course!" Brooke laughed through her tears, throwing her arms around him. "I wasn't ready to be lost... Thank you."

He had no idea what the summer would bring, but they still had Brooke Davis, and for right now, that was enough.

* * *

"Hey." She greeted, leaning against the door frame.

Nathan glanced over at her and smiled. Lucas had told him that she would be moving in. It would be tight, but they'd make it work, they always did. "Hey."

"What's going on?"

He made a face. "Just doing laundry... Do you think Lucas will forgive me turning all of his socks pink?"

Brooke laughed, moving to stand beside him.

"You got to separate the colors from the whites, buddy."

"Yeah..."

"How's Haley?"

Though the girls had made up, she'd hardly heard from her red haired friend, and that worried her. Haley had never been good with change, or guilt.

Nathan shrugged. He would have been lying if he said that he wasn't worried about her.

"Oh, she's pretty much the same as last week." He admitted. "Jumpy, anxious, I mean, I know she's not herself, but she doesn't need to keep apologizing to me."

She reached out to squeeze his shoulder. "I'm proud of you. You're exactly what Haley needs right now."

"Well, she's always been everything to me. Now it's time for me to be her everything. In sickness and in health, right? For better or worse... How are you doing?"

"Umm..." Brooke drew out. "I'm okay, I guess... You know, despite everything that's happened, I actually feel relieved. I know that it's not my fault anymore."

"It never was, B." Nathan argued, shaking his head. "Hey, you know what sucks? Being the only one who has a love/hate relationship with a 'parent' who's been in prison... Wait a minute, you have one of those too! ...How you doing with that?"

"Not great."

He nodded in agreement. "Right. Well, something tells me that Julian's gonna be there for you, and that you're gonna be just fine. But just in case, we're still here, too."

She blushed at the mention of his name. Nathan raised an eye brow.

"Brooke..."

"What?" She replied, a smile spreading across her face. "Umm... I mean... Thanks, Nate. Same!"

"Is there something going on between you two?" He asked, brows still raised. "I mean, I totally approve... But is there?"

Brooke let out a long sigh. "I wish I knew."

"How you doing?"

She shrugged. The truth was, if Lucas hadn't interrupted them on the beach, she would have gone for it. She would have forgotten that she had a boyfriend, and she would have kissed him.

 _Damn it, Lucas._

"Well, you know, falling for a guy, when you already have a boyfriend, is kind of weird, but I'm managing."

Nathan reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder. "What's going on with the boyfriend part?"

"I don't know."

"What about Julian?"

"We're trying to be friends."

He knew Brooke all too well. He knew what she went for in a guy, he knew how easily her heart broke, but he also knew that she didn't play games. When she set her mind to something, she was all in, there was no going back.

Once you fell in love with someone, there was no going back to being just friends.

"And he's okay with that?" He asked, his gaze meeting her own.

"He's fine." Brooke replied with a shrug. "I'm fine. Everything's gonna be fine."

Would it? Because she couldn't stop thinking about that almost-kiss,

"All right." Nathan said with a sigh, squeezing her shoulder again. "Well, let me know If you need me to knock some sense into the guy."

She smiled. "Thanks, Nate."

Brooke gave him a mock-punch before turning to go. Never before had he seen her act like this when it came to a guy.

"B?"

She turned back around. "Yeah, Nate?"

"I'm sorry..." Nathan muttered, the words needed to be said. "Honestly, Brooke. I'm-"

"It's okay, Nathan." Brooke promised, smiling again. "Really, it's okay."


	7. Chapter 7

She didn't freak out when it took Felix a week to call her again.

Instead, she spent her days at the beach with Peyton and Haley, she joined in on 'Family Game Night' every Thursday with Karen, Lucas and Haley, and, she took advantage of the boys sleeping arrangement.

Karen had insisted that Nathan and Lucas share the couch.

She'd taken a picture, but the flash of her camera was bright enough to startle Nathan, who kicked his brother awake. She'd locked herself in the basement, sending the picture to Peyton, who printed it out and made a copy for each of them.

While Felix seemed to be avoiding her, she was deliberately avoiding Julian, hiding her growing feelings for him. It was pure torture, but it needed to be done until she ended things with Felix.

For good.

He finally came around on a Saturday night. Haley allowed him to enter the house, not bothering to hide the disgusted look on her face.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me, Brooke."

"Thanks Haley."

As soon as she was gone, Felix broke the distance between them in three long strides, wrapping his arms around her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh man, babe." He whispered, pulling back to look her in the eye. "I am _so_ sorry that I wasn't there... Are you okay?"

When Brooke didn't burst into tears, or throw her arms around him, he released his grip on her completely, his eyebrows arched.

"Brooke?"

"I..." She drew out, awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other. "Felix... We need to talk."

He nodded, dropping down onto the nearest couch. "Of course, babe, you know that I'm always here for you... So... Do I still get to call you Brooke?"

"Felix..."

"Are you moving?" Felix continued, patting the empty space beside him. "I mean, it'll be hard, but if anyone can make a long distance relationship work, it's us."

"Felix?"

"Don't worry, babe." He said, beaming at her. "Everything is gonna be okay, Brooke-Oh! Should I start calling you _Elena_? I mean, that _is_ your name, why wouldn't you want to go by-"

"Felix!"

Felix met her gaze, looking startled. She'd finally gotten him to shut up.

"I don't want to talk about my kidnapping." Brooke muttered. "I don't wanna talk about a long distance relationship, because..."

"Brooke?"

"I..." She drew out. "I don't know if I want to do this anymore."

He stood up, slowly backing away from her. For a moment, he looked hurt, but that sadness quickly turned to anger as his eyes narrowed. He knew exactly what was going on, he just couldn't believe he'd been too blind to see it.

"You're breaking up with me?" Felix demanded. "What the hell, Brooke? Wait... This is about that guy, isn't it? That new guy... What's his name? Toe Jam?"

"His name is _Julian_." Brooke replied, rolling her eyes. "And no, this has nothing to do with him. I just need to be alone for a little while, okay?"

She was lying through her teeth. Their break up had _everything_ to do with Julian. She was falling for him, but she couldn't do anything about it until Felix was out of the picture.

"That's bull shit, Brooke!" He hissed, his fingers locking around her wrist. "Just admit that you're attracted to him!"

"Felix..."

"Damn it, Brooke! Just admit it!"

"Felix!"

"What's going on here?" Nathan demanded, letting the door fall shut behind him. "B. You okay?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving Felix's face. "I'm fine, Nathan. Felix was just leaving... _Weren't_ you, Felix?"

"Yeah." Felix drew out through gritted teeth. "You know what, Brooke? Call me in a month, when this fling of yours comes to an end, and then maybe we can talk about getting back together."

Brooke laughed, giving him a cheerful, and sarcastic wave. "Yeah. Like that'll happen."


	8. Chapter 8

"Your free throws look like crap."

He dropped the ball, turning to shoot her a mock-warning look before he burst out laughing. A typical Peyton Sawyer comment.

"Glad to see you're picking up the slack in my dad's absence."

Peyton rolled her eyes, moving to sit on the old, rickety picnic table. His text had said that he wanted to talk, so here she was.

"Curly." Nathan muttered, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "I don't know if I've said this to you yet, but I'm sorry... About everything."

"You're a real jackass, you know that?"

He couldn't tell if she was joking or not. She finally cracked a smile.

Peyton sighed. "Look, Nathan. We could keep blaming each other for what happened that night, or we could just accept the truth. It was no one's fault. It a really weird way, it was fate."

"You're right." Nathan muttered, moving to sit beside her. "If we hadn't been paired together for that project, then maybe we would have had different topics..."

"Then no one would have recognized that old picture of Brooke."

He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe everything would be different... But it's not."

That was the problem with 'What If' questions, they never made the situation better, and it only made her realize what could have been.

"You know..." She said. "As dumb as this might sound, I just thought of a _Gossip Girl_ quote that would apply to our situation perfectly."

Nathan chuckled. "Oh yeah? You and Lucas with all of your quotes! Alright, let's hear it."

"They say there are no accidents. Sometimes, reality comes crashing into us. Other times it dawns on us slowly, despite our best efforts to ignore it."

He blinked. It was weirdly accurate.

"I'll be seein ya." Nathan called, giving her a mock salute. "Oh. Brooke broke up with Felix."

"Hey... Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"Everything's gonna be alright..." She asked. "Right?"

"Yeah." He replied easily, because everything always turned out okay. "Of course it is."

* * *

"Brooke?" Karen called. "There's a letter out here for you, honey! It's from Charlotte."

Nathan, Haley, and Lucas shared a look. It was the moment they had all been dreading, the moment Dianna Reynolds tried to reach out to her daughter for the first time.

Brooke tore open the envelope.

 _To my beautiful Elena Grace,_

 _It is so hard for me to begin this letter... Maybe I should say how hard if is for me to finish it instead, because I have started it at least fifty times. After I received the news that my beautiful baby girl had been found, I realized that I could no longer go on denying her, I worked too hard to bring her into this world._

 _There are so many things that I want to tell you, and even more questions that I long to ask, like, what kind of person am I that I was deprived of my first beautiful child? But finding the right words has been a bit of a challenge for me, so I'll start by telling you that not a single day has passed that I have not thought about you and wondered how you are. My love for you is never ending, nothing can ever ever change that._

 _I don't know what your name is now, where you grew up, or even what you look like. I don't know what your voice sounds like, or how tall you are, and I don't know what your favorite food is. These are moments that I was robbed of. I do know that my daughter has an infectious laugh, and killer smile. Maybe her incredible sense of curiosity came from me, and her bravery from her father. Her spark of intelligence and stubborn streak... Those are things she inherited from her real family._

 _The day you was born, I held you, and talked to you, and I kissed you, and hugged you... I never wanted to let you go. From the first moment I held you in my arms, I knew my life would never be the same. I stared at you for hours and whispered to you all of my hopes and dreams for your future. After I gave birth, no one told me what it would feel like to be a mother. I felt it, overwhelming and unconditional love, and I want you to know that I love you, so much. While that may be strange to hear from someone you don't know, it is the one absolute truth of my life. That feeling didn't go away over time, and was not replaced. I've had four children since my first daughter was born and the feeling never diminished, it only grew._

 _I want you to know that the day you were taken from me completely altered who I am and the way that I live. My daughter is in my thoughts every moment of the day. The only thing I have ever wanted was my daughter back. I want to know her likes and dislikes, the similarities we may share, and all about her that is unique and individual. I want to know about her childhood, her favorite places, and fondest memories. I want to share something with my child, I want my daughter to wish these things too. I want her to have all of her questions answered. I don't want to be an intruder in her life, but to be seen as someone who has a big heart for her, another person to love and be loved. Here are the memories that I got to share with you: learning to count on your fingers, loving your dog, Simba, learning to sing, you were ticklish behind your knees. You wore out one copy of "Goodnight Moon" because we read it every night, and your favorite place on earth was a toss-up between the beach and Mommy and Daddy's great big bed._

 _You're a grown woman now, I still love you as much as I did the day I lost you. There's never a day that I don't pray for you, there's never a day when I don't think of you. I want you to understand and remember that. It would be wrong of me to try and rip you away from the only life you have ever known, but I hope that you'll consider my offer of coming to stay with us this summer. I hope you will._

 _Remember I love you, then, now, always. I will always love you and care about you._

 _All my love, Dianna Reynolds_

A picture fell to the floor.

A man and a woman stood in front of a very familiar looking house. Two people she actually resembled. Four other kids flanking them, one boy, and three girls. The only thing she had ever wanted while growing up was a sister. Now, she had three.

For the first time since finding out who she really was, Brooke realized that she actually had a _family_.

She had another group of people that loved her, and not just for being Elena Reynolds... Even if she couldn't remember a thing about them.


	9. Chapter 9

"Yes!" Brooke cheered, throwing her bag into the back of Peyton's car. "Beach day! It's about time, slackers!"

Nathan and Lucas shared an amused look. Going to the beach had been her idea, but after days and days of her obsessive nagging, they'd finally agreed.

"Just think." Haley muttered, leaning against her husband. "Pretty soon, it'll be summer, and we can do this every day."

Her smile suddenly faltered.

She had yet to tell her friends exactly what was written in Dianna's letter.

Actually leaving Tree Hill for the summer? Possibly forever? She couldn't even begin to process what a huge decision that was.

"Hey, guys!" A very familiar voice called out. "Sorry I'm late!"

She turned to give her friends a death stare. What the hell was he doing here? Yeah, she knew it was childish to be avoiding Julian after their almost-kiss, but she didn't know what else to do. She hadn't even told him that she had broken up with Felix yet.

"Who. Invited. Julian." Brooke demanded, her teeth clenched. "Nathan Scott... I'm going to kill you, Nate! What the hell?"

He shrugged, shooting her an innocent smile. "Sorry, B, but even _I've_ noticed that you're avoiding him. Besides, I don't hate having Julian around, he's actually a pretty cool guy."

"Hey, Julian." Lucas greeted, reaching out to shake his hand. "Ready for a day at the beach, man?"

"Yeah." Julian replied, grinning down at her. "Beautiful day, great people, let's do it!"

Peyton tossed Lucas her keys. "Here, Luke. You drive."

Nathan held the door open for them, shooting his brother a wink. Lucas thrust the seat forward, allowing Haley, Brooke and Julian to crawl into the back.

"Let's do this!"

He chuckled, offering her a hand to help her into the car. He put the keys in the ignition, starting the comet before pulling out of his driveway.

"So..." Julian drew out, bumping her knee with his own. "I was hoping we could talk."

Brooke nodded. They _needed_ to talk, she couldn't keep avoiding him, it wasn't doing any good.

"I broke up with Felix." She muttered, meeting his gaze. "Is that a good place to start?"

* * *

"The beach is becoming our spot."

She managed a half-smile, glancing out over the water, where her friends were currently involved in a very intense game of Chicken. Lucas had Peyton on his shoulders, his hands curling around her knees as she shoved Haley backwards, sending the newly married couple headfirst into the water.

"Umm..." Brooke muttered. "Listen... I owe you an apology, Julian... I know I've been avoiding you, and I'm sorry. It's just... After _whatever_ happened the last time we were here. I've been trying to convince myself that it was just a one-time thing, that you could never possibly feel the same way that I do-"

Julian grinned, his arms slipping around her waist as he pressed his lips to hers. It was a slow kiss, long-lasting, and beautiful.

Felix had never kissed her like that.

"I... Umm..." She stuttered as they pulled away. "Wow."

"Wow." Julian repeated, nodding in agreement. "That's definitely one word to describe it."

They sat in silence for what seemed like a long time. Finally, no longer able to stand the quiet any longer, Julian gently forced her chin upward to meet his gaze.

"Brooke?"

She shook her head.

"Brooke." He said again, his tone pleading. "Please, just talk to me... What's wrong?"

It was now or never.

"I'm scared..." Brooke admitted, letting her head fall heavily against his shoulder. "What if we ruin it?"

Julian raised an eye brow. "What are you talking about?"

"The feeling that I get when I see you after the summer is over." She whispered. "And the way my heart aches when I smell your skin... I don't want it to go away."

"It won't." He promised, wrapping his arms around her. "We won't let it."

They sat like that for a few moments, arms wound around each other, both afraid to let go. Suddenly, something dawned on him.

"Brooke? What do you mean _after_ the summer is over?"

She let out a shaky sigh. "There's something I need to tell you guys."

* * *

"The whole summer?"

Brooke nodded slowly. Nathan and Lucas had built a fire, all six of them sat around it in silence.

"I haven't given them an answer yet." She promised, reaching out to squeeze Peyton's hand. "I just... I don't know what to do, you guys... I'm scared that wherever I do end up staying this summer, is gonna be the wrong choice."

Lucas sighed. Peyton was leaning against him, her head on his shoulder. He'd wrapped his sweatshirt around her hours before, even though it was growing cold out.

Would she do it? Would Brooke actually leave Tree Hill for the summer?

"B." Nathan muttered, wrapping his arm around Haley. "We're your friends, we're going to support whatever decision you make. Will I miss you? Duh. Do I think that this is a great opportunity for you to finally get some answers? Of course I do! But the choice is yours, Brooke, don't worry about the rest of us."

She _was_ worried, that was the problem. She couldn't help it, she was the type of person who cared about the people she loved. Her friendships with Lucas, Peyton, Nathan, Haley, Mouth, Skills, and Bevin meant the world to her.

And what about Julian?

She would have rather had a boyfriend who was a little dorky, but a total sweetheart than a really hot guy, who was a player, flirting with every girl in sight. Julian was the first guy who had ever made her feel special, and beautiful, and loved.

How could she leave him?

"Brooke." Lucas muttered, his hand landing on her knee. "Hey, just relax, alright? No one is holding a gun to your head. You don't have to decide right now."

Then why did it feel like everyone was waiting on her to give them an answer.

Nathan cleared his throat. "Guys, we are all being _way_ too sappy tonight. What the hell is happening to us?"

"I've got an idea." Lucas offered, suddenly grabbing Peyton around the waist. "Late night dip, anyone?"

"Luke!" She squealed, her arms locking around his neck. "Don't you dare-"

Brooke laughed as he threw her into the water. Within seconds, she was in Julian arms, heading for the cool water, and for a moment, everything was okay.


End file.
